HANDS M C PILGRIMS AND THE CANTERBURY T - Weebly

HANDSONHISTORYMEDIEVAL CAREERS:PILGRIMS AND THE CANTERBURY TALESBy Sarah Peterson

Medieval Pilgrims and the Canterbury TalesDiscussion #1: What is a Pilgrim?Pilgrims were – and are – people who traveled to a location because it wassignificant to their religion. This type of journey, called a “Pilgrimage,” did notoriginate during the Middle Ages. Pilgrimages had been around for centuries aspeople of all religions traveled long distances to important sacred sites.Beginning in the 4th century, Christians journeyed from Europe to Jerusalem,Bethlehem, Nazareth and other destinations having to do with the life of Jesus. This3,000-mile pilgrimage could literally take a lifetime and was impossible for mostpeople. During the Middle Ages, the destinations moved to religious sites that werecloser to home. This made pilgrimages more accessible. Even so, a pilgrimage couldtake weeks or even months.What makes a site religiously significant? A location could be considered holy if itwas the site of the birth or death of a saint or martyr; if some miracle occurred there;or, if the location possessed a holy relic - an object with religious significance.Each person had his or her own reason for going on a pilgrimage. Some peoplewere seeking atonement for a sin or some offense: they reasoned that if they wentto a holy site and showed their devotion, their sins would be forgiven. Other peoplesought a cure for a disease or disability. Reports of miracles at holy sites promptedmany people to travel great distances in hopes of being healed. Of course, therewere also people who traveled to holy places simply because they were religiousand devout.Traveling during the Middle Ages could be very dangerous; roads were filled withthieves who would readily attack single individuals or small parties of people. This isone of the reasons why pilgrims tended to travel in larger groups. In addition to thedangers of outlaws, the road conditions and weather could be treacherous. Peoplein larger groups were able to look out for and help each other along the way.For many people a pilgrimage was the one and only time they would leave theircommunity. Most people lived their entire life in the same village or town – with noreal reason to ever leave.Depending on their finances, pilgrims either walked or traveled on horseback.Medieval Careers - PilgrimsPage 2

MEDIEVAL TIMES WANT ADSJOB OPENING: PILGRIMSmall Group Departing on aPilgrimage to Canterbury!Now Accepting Applications for PersonsSeeking Atonement or MiraclesApplicant Must Be Able to Travel a Long DistanceThis Position Requires a ONE-MONTH COMMITMENT!Activity #1: Complete the Job ApplicationStudents complete the job application found on page 9. Students can shareanswers if they are in a classroom or co-op setting.Discussion #2: Geoffrey Chaucer and the Canterbury CathedralGeoffrey Chaucer was born in London in 1340. He lived inEngland but traveled to France, Spain, Flanders and other areasas part of his job as a public servant. However, Chaucer is notremembered as a public servant, he is remembered as a poet.One of his most well-known works is a poem entitled, “TheCanterbury Tales,” a collection of stories written in the last yearsof his life.The Canterbury CathedralThe Canterbury Tales is a story about Medieval Pilgrims, on their journey fromLondon to Canterbury. Their destination is a Cathedral in Canterbury, England,where a shrine is dedicated to a Saint named Thomas Becket. Thomas Becket was anArchbishop who was murdered in his own Cathedral bymen devoted to the king at that time – King Henry II.Thomas Becket had been a friend of King Henry II,counseling him in times of war and acting asambassador in Henry’s associations with King Louis VIIof France. Henry appointed Becket to an importantposition – the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Kingthought that this would give him control over thechurch, but he was wrong. Upon his appointment,Thomas instantly became loyal to the church. Thisinfuriated Henry.Over time, conflict and tension developed betweenBecket and King Henry II. At one point, Henry made acomment asking, “Who will rid me of this interfering priest?”Medieval Careers - PilgrimsCanterbury CathedralPage 3

Several of Henry’s knights took these words to heart and immediately set out to findthe Archbishop. Finding him at the altar of his Cathedral, the knights slashed him todeath. The King had never actually ordered the murder and was repulsed by the act.The Pope declared Becket a Saint in 1173, three years after his death.It was said that following Becket’s death, many people witnessed miracles atCanterbury Cathedral. After many reports of healings, people began makingpilgrimages to a Shrine dedicated to Becket.Discussion #3: The Canterbury TalesGeoffrey Chaucer’s poem is the story of a group ofpilgrims who are travelling from Tabard Inn (nearLondon) to the Canterbury Cathedral. The groupconsists of men and women from different classes andoccupations. There is one host (named Harry Bailey)and 30 pilgrims including Chaucer, who is actually acharacter – the narrator - in his poem. The pilgrimsinclude a knight, a merchant, a miller, a pardoner, and amonk, among others. Harry Bailey proposes a contest:each pilgrim is to tell two tales on the way to the shrineand two tales on the return. Bailey will judge the storiesand choose the one that is the most entertaining.According to the rules conveyed by the host, there would have been 120 tales (30pilgrims each telling four stories). Knowing this, it is clear that the Canterbury Talesis not a complete work; Chaucer died before he could finish the poem. Only 24 taleshave survived – and two of those are only partial stories. Through the process ofhand-copying (the printing press had not yet been invented), the intended order ofthe tales was lost. In an effort to organize the poem, scholars have grouped thetales into ten “fragments.” Within each of the fragments are tales that are closelyrelated or that reference each other. In this way, scholars have attempted todetermine the correct order. Unfortunately, there is no consensus among theexperts. It is, however, agreed that the first story is the Knight’s Tale.Some of the tales are sermons, some are fables; many have morals, many are vulgarand improper. Most of the stories give insight to human nature: how humans act;how they treat each other; how they respond to suffering; and what they do toendure and find happiness.Chaucer wrote his poem in Middle English which was unusual at the time. Since thetime of William the Conqueror (1066), most literature in England had been written inLatin or French. Additionally, although it is called a poem, it is actually written inboth prose (text) and verse (poetry). The poem is recognized for revealing detailsabout how ordinary people lived during the Middle Ages.Medieval Careers - PilgrimsPage 4

Activity #2: Translate English to English!One characteristic of language is that it is always changing. Words come and go;meanings are altered; spelling is modified and even sentence structure – theorder of words in a sentence – changes. Geoffrey Chaucer wrote the CanterburyTales in the 14th Century. How much has the English language changed in thepast six hundred years?Examine the original passage from the General Prologue of the Canterbury Tales(written in Middle English) and try to determine the meaning of the passage.“Guess” the meaning of the words on the chart below and then compare to the“Actual” meaning on the Teacher’s Key on page 5.And specially from every shires endeOf Engelond to Caunterbury they wende,The hooly blisful martir for to seke,That hem hath holpen whan that they were seeke.Make an educated guess about what the following words val Careers - PilgrimsGuessActualPage 5

Translate English to English!Teacher’s KeyAnd specially from every shires endeOf Engelond to Caunterbury they wende,The hooly blisful martir for to seke,That hem hath holpen whan that they were seeke.Make an educated guess about what the following words ActualEnglandWentHolySeekThemHelpedSickThe Following is a Translation of the Passage:And specially from every shire's endOf England to Canterbury they went,To seek the holy blessed martyr,Who helped them when they were sick.Medieval Careers - PilgrimsPage 6

Activity #3: Read a Canterbury Tale AdaptationIt would be difficult to read all of the original Canterbury Tales in one classperiod! The entire work is quite extensive and not all passages areappropriate. Additionally, in order to understand Middle English mostpeople would need a translator!Reading a kid-friendly adaptation of “The Pardoner’s Tale” will provide thestudents an opportunity to get a feel for the story. Many of the tales,including the “Pardoner’s Tale,” begin with a prologue which introduces thestoryteller to the reader.The Pardoner’s TalePrologue: The Pardoner begins his introduction by telling his fellowpilgrims about his job. He explains that he is a pardoner who preaches thatgreed is the root of all evil. During his sermons he offers to sell holy relicsto the members of the congregation. He explains that these holy relicshave miraculous powers that will pardon the person’s sins. He confesses tothe pilgrims that the holy relics have no power whatsoever. The Pardonerexplains very honestly that he only sells relics for the money and that hetruly does not have a care about what happens to the person’s soul upondeath. He professes to be holy while pocketing the money dishonestly.After revealing these details about his occupation, the Pardoner begins histale.The Pardoner’s Tale: There once lived in Flanders three wicked, sinful menwho spent their time in illegal, immoral activities.One night while the three men were in a tavern, they looked outside andsaw a group of men carrying a corpse to the grave. One of the three askedabout the corpse and was told that he was an old man whose heart hadbeen attacked by a thief named “Death.” The three wicked men had heardof this “Death” and how he had killed so many people: young, old, rich andpoor. The three men vowed to find Death and murder him.The three men headed out in search of the elusive thief. They came uponan elderly man sitting on the side of the road. They approached him andrudely asked, “How is it, that you are still alive?”The elderly man politely responded, “I have asked to die, but so far I havebeen denied.”Medieval Careers - PilgrimsPage 7

One of the wicked men asked, “Have you seen the mysterious thief, Death?”The elderly man replied, “Yes, he is up the road a bit, under an old oaktree.”The three men rushed up the road in search of the oak tree. There, insteadof Death, they found eight bushels of gold coins. Finding this treasure, thethree forgot all about hunting Death.They decide that the safest way to move the gold is under the cover ofnight. Two of the men would stay with the gold while the third goes backto town to get some bread and wine for dinner. They draw lots and it isdetermined that the youngest of the three would fetch the food, while theothers stand guard.When the youngest had left, the other two decide that when the thirdreturns, they will stab him and divide the gold between themselves.While in town, the youngest man decides to poison two of the three bottlesof wine so that he can have all of the gold for himself.Upon his return, the two men who had guarded the gold did indeed stabthe youngest. In celebration of their victory, they drank the wine –coincidentally, the two bottles that had been poisoned.The three evil men did in fact find Death – exactly where the elderly manhad said he would be – by the old oak tree.Of course, the moral of this story is, “Greed is the Root of All Evil!”Medieval Careers - PilgrimsPage 8